


The Dade County Qualifiers for the 2019 National High School Debate Championships

by Thebiwife



Series: 10 years on... [4]
Category: ER (TV 1994), Jane the Virgin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bisexual Female Character, Canon Lesbian Character, F/F, F/M, Family Dynamics, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, LGBTQ Themes, Medical Professionals, Miami, Post-Canon, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-14 03:01:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29910429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thebiwife/pseuds/Thebiwife
Summary: A family-focused series of events during the beginnings of Kerry & Abby's relationship.
Relationships: Abby Lockhart/Kerry Weaver, Joe Kovac & Abby Lockhart, Kerry Weaver & Henry Lopez (Weaver)
Series: 10 years on... [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2116875
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> All fics in this series make best sense if read in the order posted, so I would highly recommend that you read the first two fics in this series first! However, the E-rated content hereon is posted in a separate fic, and this fic should make perfect sense without it - if it doesn't please let me know, and bear with me! Trying to cater the story for two very different audiences...
> 
> The name of this fic is an event that is the ultimate ending of the series of events, but not exactly the crux of the series.

Naturally, Abby was in the driver’s seat on the drive back from the Marbella, the beachfront Hotel, where Henry worked in the gift shop, once again with Henry by her side while his mother and Susan, having shared a couple of wine bottles with dinner, were in the back.

After Kerry and Susan waved goodbye, Henry stayed in the car, expecting to chivalrously accompany Abby from the basement car park

“You get going honey,” she said to Henry, gesturing for him to follow his mother inside. “Your Mom is letting me borrow the car to get home tonight.”

“You’re not staying over?” Henry asked, referring to the fact that Abby had indeed _spent the night_ with Kerry the previous night, not that Henry knew the true nature of their relationship - both of their sons were being kept in the dark over the fact that their friendship had turned to _dating.._. At least their first encounter and the weekend that followed, with their mutual friend Susan Lewis visiting from Iowa, had been long arranged for Kerry’s long weekend off. It had been the happy conclusion of both being a good hostess for Susan and convincing Kerry’s son, Henry, that they were merely friends visiting friends, that had even allowed for them to spend the night together.

“No, I’m working tomorrow. So damn inconvenient for people to have babies on a Sunday, huh?”

Henry laughed. “Right. Well, um, thanks for driving.”

“If you want to do some logged driving hours when your Mom isn’t available just give me a shout.”

“Thanks Abby.”

“Good night honey.”

* * *

  
  
After Abby’s two long day shifts on Sunday and Monday, and with Kerry working daytime from Monday to Thursday, a Tuesday evening was arranged for them to next get together. Although it wasn’t quite a natural fit for a dirty encounter, Kerry not being able to stay over, between her and her girlfriend’s various shifts and freelance appointments, Abby was starting to think they were lucky to have found the time to see each other at all.

“I know it’s been like four days, but man, I’ve been getting quite hot and bothered waiting for this,” Abby admitted, throwing herself onto the bed and biting her lip.

Kerry laughed. “I’m glad you want to do this again.”

“Of course I do! Why wouldn’t I?”

“Oh I didn’t know if I freaked you out...during our first time.”

“Oh, gosh no. I mean, I didn’t see _that_ coming, but then again, if you’d left it to me we probably still wouldn’t be sleeping together until after Christmas.”

“But you are happy we’re doing this?”

“Kerry, have you seen me do anything but smile since?”

“That’s true… come here.”

As they kissed again Kerry began to remove her clothing, removing her blouse in the time that Abby had merely untied her shoelaces. 

“Kerry you are so beautiful,” Abby moaned, running her hands over Kerry’s arms. “Tell me what you want, baby.”

“Play with my titties…” Kerry whispered, “and I’ll play with yours?” She looked down to Abby’s chest, noticing she wasn’t wearing a bra.

Abby smiled mischievously, trying not to laugh at Kerry’s choice of term and Kerry reached beneath Abby’s top for her breast, immediately reaching for the nipple and twirling it between her middle and forefingers. 

“Gladly,” Abby whispered into Kerry’s ear, pushing her down and undoing her bra, Kerry going straight for her nipple with her mouth once she had done so.

They were interrupted by Kerry’s phone buzzing against the couch cushion.

“Sorry, I should…”

Abby nodded.

“It’s Henry’s work. _Hello? Kerry Weaver speaking,_ ” Kerry scrambled to replace her bra, not feeling at ease with speaking to Jorge while topless.

Abby redid the fastening for her and put her arms around her girlfriend, softly kissing her shoulder.

“ _Ok, I’ll be right there, Jorge, gracias,”_ Kerry said before hanging up. “Henry’s sick, sounds like a migraine but they figured I should at least check him out myself before they send him home. I’m so sorry honey. You ok if I take the car?”

“Of course, it’s your car. And don’t apologise, the kids come first.”

“I don’t deserve you.”

“I love you.”

"I love you too Abby."


	2. Chapter 2

“What was it you made again? Smells amazing,” Abby smiled as she returned from the bedroom into the kitchen to join Kerry, closing the door behind her.

“Corn Chowder and Navajo Fry Bread,” Kerry nodded over at the crockpot. 

“...and the protein?”

“And beans,” Kerry pointed to the skillet on her stove.

“This is amazing,” Abby said. “Where do you get these ideas?”

“My Mom. She used to try and learn indigenous recipes in Africa, and when we moved back to the states I once asked her why she didn’t do the same...so she had a Native American friend of hers teach her.”

“That sounds exactly like what you  _ would _ ask.”

There was a bang as the door slammed. “Hey Mom. Oh, hi Abby,” Henry said, surprising them by appearing through the front door.

“Honey...you’re early. And _d_ _on't_ slam the _door!_ ”

“Yeah, practice was canceled since we’re away this weekend.”

“Oh, of course,” Kerry nodded. “So you _really_ didn’t want to miss the algebra test?”

Henry nodded. "Too hard to catch up this close to the end of the semester if you miss anything."

"Right..." Kerry said, still unconvinced.

“Politics class trip again?” Abby asked. The first weekend Abby had stayed with the Weaver-Lopezes Henry had been in Tallahassee with his American Politics class.

“Debate team, we’re heading to Jacksonville tonight.”

“Well I’d say good luck but I don’t think you need it, not if you argue your point anything like your Mom.”

“Which one?”

“Both?” Abby shrugged. 

“Ooh is that corn chowder?” Henry asked excitedly, pulling himself a chair beside them.

“Your Mom was just telling me about your Grandma’s recipes.”

“Just wait until you try her West African Peanut Stew.”

“Oh my God you can make  _ sauce d'arachide? _ ”

“You know it?” Henry asked in surprise.

Abby nodded. “In Kinshasa, whenever I forgot lunch and had to buy from the cafeteria I  _ exclusively  _ ate that . One of the chefs was Senegalese, she called it  _ maafe?  _ It was _divine_. Are we talking about the same thing?”

“Right, exactly! My parents were in Senegal on a mission trip before they adopted me, eating it with my parents and their church friends is one of my earliest memories.”

Abby smiled and squeezed Kerry’s arm. “I cannot _wait_ to try it. Maybe you could make it when Joe comes? Make him feel like he’s missing home a little less .”

“Abby, I would love to, although I cannot remotely promise it’ll be anywhere near as good as the real thing.”

“When _is_ Joe visiting?” Henry asked, helping himself to a second bowl of chowder, a typical teenage boy able to eat twice the amount with half the consequences.

“Thanksgiving weekend. They only get the long weekend from school so I got dispensation for him to travel a day either side.

“Poor kid, he’ll be exhausted travelling so far in such a short time,” Kerry sighed.

“Right,” Abby smiled.

"Henry, honey, you don't mind Abby and Joe spending Thanksgiving dinner with us do you?"

"Oh really? No, that's cool, it's only ever the two of us when we spend it here," Henry nodded.

"I'm sure the two of you will get on swimmingly," Abby smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter five of [_Susan Lewis' Annual Winter Holiday Party 2019_](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29849460) picks back up here.


	3. Chapter 3

The benefits of Joe flying out to Florida from the DRC alone were plenty; more, in fact, than Abby had realised. He was chaperoned and escorted through the airport like a VIP; once his flight from Paris had shown as landed for mere seconds he was brought to her in the arrivals hall by a Navy Blue stewardess in mere minutes.

“Happy Thanksgiving!” Abby smiled, taking her son into her arms. 

Abby had told herself not to spend too long reuniting inside the airport terminal since she was terrified about forgetting exactly where she had left Kerry’s car. He soon pulled away from her and headed straight for the automatic doors and the Miami sunlight, which was followed by about ten minutes of trudging back to the car and about five minutes more of hugging before Abby finally let go of her son and they climbed into the car.

“I’ve missed you so much,” she said, kissing his cheek and ruffling his hair.

“I missed you too Mom. You’ve been smoking again though.”

“Not so much, I promise,” she replied, annoyed at herself for caving for one while she had waited outside the terminal building. At least she hasn’t stunk out Kerry’s car with it. “I hope school has been ok? Boarding still going fine?”

“Yeah, it’s been good. But Mom, are  _ you _ ok?”

“Of course I am, I have my baby here!”

Joe rolled his eyes. “It is a  _ really long way _ for me to travel just for Thanksgiving…”

She frowned and then her expression softened. “I know,” she sighed. “But before I even moved and took this job here I was promised you’d be visiting me for Thanksgiving.”

“So if you hadn’t moved here I could just have visited you back home in Kinshasa?”

“I don’t know, honey...look, I was never going to stay there any longer, you know there. And there’s a lot we need to talk about, but I just want to make sure you’re ok first.”

They sat in near silence as she drove, hoping this was more down to his jet lag than anything else. He squinted in the sunlight, which could’ve been him almost drifting off, it was hard for Abby to tell while wearing her tinted sunglasses.

“We’re almost there. Do you want a nap or something to eat when we get back?”

“No. Mom, I just want to know what’s going on.”

“Ok…” Abby sighed. 

* * *

  
  
“Welcome home,” she smiled as her son followed her in, standing aimlessly in the doorway as she took his bags to his room “do you want a tea?” she asked, to no response, so brewed a pot anyway, putting two cups on the coffee table while it brewed. “Come sit here,” she said, sitting on the sofa and tucking her legs up beneath her. “Talk to me.”

Joe sighed, the way teenagers do, as if his mother expecting an answer to any of her last four sentences was too much an ask when she hadn’t seen him in person for almost three months. “About what?”

“Ok...what did your Dad say to you when you last saw him?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“Well, nothing important.”

“Ok...nothing about me living  _ here _ now?”

“Oh, yeah. But he didn’t tell me anything you didn’t say in Malta, or that I haven’t already asked him. But I get it, I think it sucks but I know you weren’t happy in Kinshasa, so it made sense when they offered you redundancy that you took it so you could move here and be nearer Maggie.”

“Right, exactly.”

“And so we moved everything from home to a new place Dad is renting, and boxed up everything that got shipped here.”

“Right…”

“And that’s it?”

“Well...no. I was hoping he would tell you something else.”

“Like what?”

“Joe, honey...I know you love your Dad, so I don’t want you to think any of this means you’re not allowed to. But your Dad and I...we’re separated.”

“Well yeah, he’s on a different continent…”

“Joe, what I mean is...we’re not together anymore. And we’re getting a divorce.”

“No you’re not,” Joe nearly laughed, shaking his head.

“Honey, it’s really important that you listen to me here...your father has been...unfaithful to me. Over a long period of time.”

Joe looked down before looking over to his mother. “Are you sure?”

Abby nodded. “I found out the week we were in Malta, which is why you might have noticed I was a bit...distant while we were there. And so it’s why I decided to move here, to be nearer Maggie but also to start fresh.”

“...ok?”

“I have a really good job here, great benefits...I know this apartment is small but after a while we can settle somewhere bigger, if you want.”

“What do you mean, if I want?”

Abby took a deep breath. “I want you to go to High School here next year.”

“What!? Not in Kinshasa?”

“No...Joe, your Dad and I can’t afford to keep you at your school at the cost of their High School Tuition, even with my new salary the cost of living here is so much higher…school fees  _ and  _ boarding on top of that is too much.”

“So if I come here I have to go to public school, because the cost of living here is too high, but you can get a  _ nice big apartment  _ for us? Why don’t we just all stay in Kinshasa and I can go to high school there, with my friends!?” he stood up, the volume in his voice rising slightly. “Why couldn’t you just stay!? Even if you and Dad don’t want to see each other, we can all just live nearby and…”

“Joe…you’ve been at one school way longer than most kids in International school ever are. They move around, that’s _ why _ those schools exist.”

“I don’t care, I  _ like  _ it there. I’m not American, I’m Croatian, and African, or well, kinda.” 

“And you’re still gonna be spending Christmas in Croatia with your Dad and Uncle, you’ll always have that part of you, and as long as your dad is in Kisangani we can look at you going back to visit him and your friends. Joe, baby…”

“I’m not a baby, Mom. I’ll be a High Schooler in nine months.” Joe pouted. “Why am I going to be living with you, why not with Dad?”

“Because your Dad lives in temporary accommodation for nine months of the year, in places that are unsafe for kids and where you can’t go to school or enjoy being a teenager.”

“I enjoyed being a teenager in Kinshasa!”.

“I know. And you’ll enjoy it here too! I promise.  _ I _ just need to know I have the support network around me that I need  _ here _ , now that _ I’m _ going to be going this alone, and that means support from you too now that you are getting older. When you get to High School that means more independence, responsibilities, both in and out of school…”

Joe couldn’t think of what else to argue back and resigned to “I hate it here.”

Abby’s volume began to match Joe’s. “You’ve been here five minutes.”

“I don’t  _ know _ anyone here.”

“I have a friend here whose son is in a High School not too far away. We’re going to them for Thanksgiving Dinner tonight so you can ask them _anything_ you want to ask about living here or the schools...Josip, like it or not, this is going to be your _home_ ,” Abby said, her voice faltering slightly as she felt emotion getting in the way of her stern tone. “Because It is _my_ home, and you _are_ American. Because I am. I haven’t even lived here for _over a decade_ because of your father, and you cannot begin to imagine what it was like for me to find out he had been _betraying me_ while I worked so hard that we could send you to your school _and_ _he_ could fulfill his goals. Honey, I need to look after me; and that means I’m going to put me and you first. Here.”

“But Mom, this isn’t anything  _ like  _ Chicago or Boston.”

“I know, but I still thought you’d like it here... it’s a climate not dissimilar to what you’re used to, it’s multicultural, there’s great food, we’re near the beach...we can get you into a good school, you’ll make friends. And hopefully it will feel like home for both of us in no time.”

Joe looked at his Mom, knowing he’d done wrong. He tried to do what he would do when he was younger, putting his leg on her knee and clinging to her side, and once he’d weaned off of nursing, pressing his nose against her neck to take in her scent. 

Abby couldn’t remember the last time he’d cuddled her so close. “I love you, Joe.”

“I love you too Mom.”

“Do you want to see your room now?”

* * *

Abby had left Joe to unpack at settle, with a reminder that they would be heading out at 6. Shortly beforehand, he emerged at his bedroom door, interrupting his mother reading the _Paris Match_ he had bought her on the layover. “So why _are_ we spending Thanksgiving dinner with strangers?”

Abby laughed, putting her glasses on the top of her head. “They’re not strangers, Joe. Kerry is one of my oldest friends. And I am Henry’s appointed Legal Guardian.”

“Why does he need a Guardian?”

“In case anything happened to Kerry. She had an operation, way back before you were born, and she was worried there was no-one to take care of him if anything happened to her. She was a bit silly to think anything would’ve happened to her, but I agreed to be his Guardian anyway, because that’s what friends do. You only think they’re strangers because we’ve been across the Ocean for almost as long as you can remember!”


	4. Chapter 4

Abby attempted to help Kerry with Thanksgiving dinner, not that she would allow her to - Kerry had absolutely every aspect of the meal micromanaged to the second.

"You're not putting marshmallows on the yams?!" Abby asked.

Kerry gave her a look as if Abby had asked her to lace them with vodka.

"It's tradition!"

"Not in my household it isn't," Kerry said, matter-of-factly, taking the turkey out of the oven and putting the pumpkin pie inside.

“How is he?” Kerry asked Abby, gesturing to Joe who sat cross-legged bedside Henry on the couch as they played FIFA.

“Could be worse,” Abby sighed. “Not pleased with the news of the divorce.” She snuck some mini-marshmallows from inside the cupboard where Kerry kept the tea, coffee and hot chocolate, and began lining them on the top of the dish of sweet potatoes. 

“Only natural,” Kerry sighed, rubbing Abby’s elbow affectionately, as she jumped to turn and hide her handiwork.

"He has slept on the plane, at least."

As Kerry's back was turned carving the Turkey, Abby slipped the yams back inside the oven. As much as she did feel a little bad going behind her back, as Kerry had put so much work into her meal, it was the first time Joe was spending Thanksgiving in the States since he was too young to remember. She had been offered by her Mom, Maggie, to spend it there, but as he'd already taken two flights to get to Miami, a third would've been overkill. 

“So it’s just you and your Mom?” Joe asked Henry, the first non-soccer related question he'd asked Henry so far.

“Yeah, has been since I was a baby.”

“Oh. What about your Dad?”

“My Mom is gay,” Henry laughed, not meaning for it to appear to be laughing at Joe's expense, but once it came out it was hard for him to take it back. “Um...sorry. I guess t isn't _that_ obvious. But yeah, my Dad was an anonymous donor, so we have no idea who it is. I had another Mom too, the one who gave birth to me, but she died when I was still too young to remember knowing her.”

“I knew her,” Abby smiled, interrupting their conversation and leaning over the back of the couch to squeeze Henry’s shoulder. “Henry has her smile.”

“He does,” Kerry nodded, bringing the last platter of food to the table from the kitchen. 

“You really should have let us help Ker,” Abby said, trying to keep her attention away as she slipped the toasted marshmallow-topped vegetable out of the oven and onto the table.

“No, you’ve already done enough getting yourselves here. Right, boys, time for dinner.”

They sat around the small table, struggling to fit their plates alongside the bird, vegetables and cranberry sauce.

“Let’s get this served up and out of our hair,” Kerry said, smiling to Joe and lifting turkey onto his plate. “That enough for you, Joe, honey?”

“Yes, thankyou,” Joe mumbled.

“Help yourself to potatoes,” Kerry smiled, dishing out to the others and moving the turkey back to the counter. “Ok, what on Earth did you do, Lockhart!?" Kerry said at sight of the sugar-coated casserole.

"Made it authentically American, isn't that what today's about?" Abby said, pursing her lips to stop her from laughing. Kerry rolled her eyes before scooping most of the marshmallow-top onto Abby's plate.

"I thought it was a holiday about giving thanks. On that thought, who’s going first? Henry, what are you thankful for?”

“Hmmm...for Mom and her great cooking,” Henry laughed. "And Abby and hers."

“You’re welcome, Henry. Not that you’ve eaten any of it yet…I hope it lives up to your expectations.”

"The marshmallows are good Henry, I promise."

Kerry hit Abby playfully on the arm.

“Joe, how about you?”

“Um... I dunno. For being welcomed here tonight. And safe travel.”

“I second both of those,” Abby squeezed his shoulder. “And for friendships old and new,” she winked at Kerry, who now appeared over the mallow-scapade, and smiled back to her. Abby stopped herself from saying anything more, hoping her eyes had said all she wanted to, then choosing instead to look at their two boys and take a sip of her water before clearing her throat. “And you Dr. Weaver?”

“Oh gosh, it’s been over ten years since you last called me that,” Kerry blushed, she and Abby both thinking, more accurately, _outside of the bedroom you mean_. “I would reiterate most of what has been mentioned, but in particular I’d say I’m thankful for having fresh opportunity to spend time with old friends.”

Abby felt Kerry’s foot run up and down her leg beneath the table.

Joe was pleasantly surprised he wasn't expected to say grace before they began eating; most of his American friends were missionary kids, or from similar evangelical or conservative background, and had come to expect it. He supposed none of those kids had a gay mom, so that probably had something to do with it.

"Buen provecho," Kerry said, which Abby in turn translated for Joe as _Bon appétit._

“You know I also lived in Africa as a kid,” Kerry told Joe as he passed the cranberry sauce back to her.

“You did?”

Kerry nodded. “Kenya, so the opposite coast to you. My parents were missionaries. They lived in Senegal too, but that was before my time.”

“Do you miss it?” he asked her.

“I do,” Kerry smiled and nodded. “But like your Mom, I have had lots of homes. Nairobi was one, but so was Minneapolis, and Chicago. Now Miami is home, and I’ve grown to love it here.”

“You’re from Minneapolis too, aren’t you?” Joe asked Abby, turning to face her.

Abby nodded. “We never knew each other though. Like almost all of our closest friends, Chicago is where we met. Probably the main place I would call home.”

"More than Minneapolis?"

"Definitely," Abby nodded. "I lived there way longer, I met most of my good friends there, your Dad, Kerry...You were born there..."

Joe looked down and stayed silent at the mention of his father. Abby immediately wished she hadn't mentioned him, but it wouldn't have been true to omit him from her story. As Kerry often reminded her, they wouldn't be where they were in the present were it not for their pasts.

Kerry looked to steer the conversation. "Now, Henry here is a Sophomore at Jackson High, if you'd like to ask him any questions about what school is like here."

"Do you play sports?" Joe asked him.

Henry shook his head. "No, but I compete in debating."

"Oh," Joe replied. "You like Soccer though?"

"Yeah," he shrugged. "To watch, I can't really play it too well, though. Better at the eSports."

After dinner, Kerry and Abby left the boys to bond over whatever it was Henry was now showing Joe on his PlayStation, choosing instead to wash the dishes as they were far enough removed to sneak an occasional kiss or butt squeeze.

“Don’t get carried away,” Kerry said, raising a stern eyebrow.

“I know…” Abby sighed. “I’m glad they get along, though.”

“Me too,” Kerry smiled back, kissing Abby once more on the cheek. “What are your plans for the rest of the weekend?”

“We promised we’d visit Maggie but it may be Sunday by the time we do. She’s in some retirement community where they all get high all the time. You?"

“Well, avoiding Black Friday like the plague. Probably just stay here, go walk on the beach. Henry is working a long shift on Saturday so hopefully he'll actually be rested by the time he goes in, for once. How _is_ Maggie doing? Getting high, really?"

“Yeah. I mean, it seems to work for her better than any arrangement she’s had so far...I just didn’t want to expose Joe to too much if it’s...difficult.”

“I mean, as a mood enhancer I’m sure Marijuana does its job.”

“Right. But how much she has her life together I’m not sure.”

“Well, if you want to go ahead on Saturday I don’t mind bringing Joe up on Sunday morning. You’d have to fly, though…”

“Kerry, it’s a four hour drive!?”

“I know, but it saves you hiring a car if we do the drive, Henry and I can go for a day out somewhere then drive you both back in the evening. I'll even offer to split the drive with Henry both ways, let him get in some hours.”

“So much for well rested!? And I don’t know how we’d swing that with Joe…”

“Which part?”

“The sleepover?”

“Henry,” Kerry said sternly, turning to face the FIFA game in the next room. “Can you come here a sec?”

“Sure Mom,” Henry replied, obediently pausing the game and getting up to join them in the kitchen.

“Are you two getting along ok?”

“Um...yeah, why?”

“Do you wanna have Joe sleepover on Saturday? Then on Sunday we can both drive him to his Grandma’s in Tampa.”

“Really? I can drive?”

“If you two get a decent amount of sleep on Saturday night, sure.”

“Great, I finish work at seven on Saturday.”

“I’ll bring Joe to the Marbella before I head to the airport,” Abby smiled. “It might have to be before you finish your shift, but I'm sure he can just hang by the pool or something, I'll speak to Luisa. I don't know about Henry being well-rested for school on Monday... But for now we’d better call it a night. Thank-you again for dinner." 

“You're very welcome. Thank- _you_ for your efforts at sugar-coated sabotage. Right, let's call you a cab.”

Abby went back over with Henry to warn Joe that they were soon heading off, assuring him he'd see him new friend on Saturday night. She gave Kerry a big hug and kissed her cheek, knowing the next time she would see her would be in Tampa, and feeling a little sad at the implication. 

In the cab, Joe turned to his mother. "I didn't now you had lesbian friends," he said.

Abby hesitated. "Well yeah, I make friends, and sometimes they just happen to be lesbians, or bisexual...it's no big deal."

"I know. I just don't know why you never mentioned her before. It's like you were...ashamed. Did Dad not...approve or something?"

"Why would you say that? Actually, your Dad was the first person Kerry ever trusted to know about her sexuality, before she was out at work." 

"I know the rest of his family," Joe shrugged. 


End file.
